Few bands carry the same raw fire for nearly half a century, but The Rods have never been just any band. As they unleash “Wild Dogs Unchained”, the legendary heavy metal trio proves they’re still hungry, still evolving and still driven by the same loud, unapologetic passion that shaped their early years. In this interview, the band opens up to Myth of Rock with honesty and warmth—reflecting on their new album, their enduring chemistry, the challenges of the modern music world and the unbreakable bond they share with fans old and new. The Rods aren’t looking back, they’re roaring forward.
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
“Wild Dogs Unchained” mixes reimagined classics with new songs—what inspired that approach?
We were playing different songs for a possible “Live” album and decided that we could include a couple of songs from our catalog to update. I always felt “Hurricane” could be brought up to date. Freddy loves playing “Make Me A Believer”, so that’s how that happened. “Wild Dogs Unchained” was the title track from our second album for Arista, “Wild Dogs”. I had always felt that it needed to be heavier. For years I would ask Rock to update the song and make it heavier. Then one day while in pre-production for this album he presented the new version. We all loved it and hence it became the title track of the new album.
You worked again with Chris Collier for mixing and mastering. What does he bring to the band’s sound?
We have never felt that we had our sound properly captured in the studio. Chris has definitely brought our recordings closer to our live sound. He keeps the energy and brings a modern touch to our tracks. We’re very happy working with him and that’s why we continue to do so.
How does this album compare, in your opinion, to “Rattle the Cage” and earlier releases?
I certainly think it’s one of our best albums. The last three albums have shown a maturity in songwriting both musically and lyrically. We’re all very happy with the direction we’re moving in.
Which song from “Wild Dogs Unchained” is the most personal or meaningful for you, and why?
Many of the songs are meaningful to me personally. David wrote all of these songs with the exception of “Wild Dogs Unchained”, which he contributed to significantly. “World on Fire” is one I love, however, I love them all. It’s a solid Rods album from beginning to end.
Did any of the new songs start out as old riffs or ideas that you had stored away for years?
Actually no. These are all new ideas.
How do you balance writing heavy, aggressive music while keeping strong hooks and grooves?
I believe it’s stems from our roots growing to bands like Deep Purple, Hendrix, Cream etc. etc… The hard rock bands always had hooks. We’ve always loved AD/DC as well. I think we write anthemic songs naturally.
The Rods have been around since 1980—what keeps the fire burning after all these decades?
Clearly, it’s a passion we all share. David and I both write songs so that’s a given for us to write regularly. We’ve always been strong live and we try to write songs that play to our strengths. I’m proud that after all these years we’re are still producing songs are well written and still have the passion. I don’t know about all musicians but I know that we still have a strong passion for our music.
How has your creative chemistry evolved since the early days?
We pretty much carry on as we always have. With time you understand each other better. You accept the idiosyncrasies the other has and that makes thing work much more smoothly. We have a respect for each other that allows us to move quickly without getting caught up in the trivia aspects as we once might have.
What do you think “Wild Dogs Unchained” says about where The Rods are in 2025?
I’m very proud of where we are as a band. If you listen to our self-title album “Rock Hard” and “Wild Dogs Unchained” back to back you’ll have the same passion, energy and devotion to the art form that was there 45 years ago.
Looking back, which Rods album do you think had the most impact on the hard rock/metal scene, and why?
That’s not only a good question but one that isn’t easy to answer. I would have to believe that “The Rods” and Wild Dogs” were the most influential. Honestly, that really isn’t something we can answer. Other artists have certainly told us how much we influenced them, however, that’s really for them to determine for the history books.
The early 80s were a golden age for heavy metal. What was the toughest challenge for The Rods during that era?
We had a tough time getting tours that helped get our music out. It was frustrating and even now we handle our affairs internally…no manager, no booking agent.
How much different are things for rock/metal music now compared to the early 80s?
There are so many differences. For one, when we started, DIY wasn’t a thing that would get you far. Now you can record at home for very little and release it on all the major platforms. Another is that there are fewer clubs to play where you could hone your craft. We would write songs test them out in the clubs and re-work wasn’t hitting the target. I believe the biggest challenger today is “getting the word out”. There are so many albums released each week that you have to wonder how you can rise above the noise.
How do you see your fan base today? Is it mostly old-school diehards, or are younger fans discovering The Rods?
We’re happy to say that we have a about 1/3 younger fans along with the “Wild Dogs” who continue to support us.
Do you have plans for touring in support of “Wild Dogs Unchained”?
We would love to dates in 2026. Contact me or contact your favorite festival requesting that The Rods be added to their bill.
If you could summarize The Rods’ mission in 2025 in one sentence, what would it be?
To continue to write and record music that keeps getting better and better while staying true to ourselves.
Send your message to our readers please!
We have the best fans and thank you all for supporting us all these years. We’re grateful that a new generation of metal heads have discovered our music. If you would like to support by purchasing merchandise or are looking for updates on what’s going on with The Rods go to www.therods.com Thank you for the great questions!!
Carl Canedy, David “Rock” Feinstein and Freddy Villano
